Experience life in Transylvanian Mansions
“ One of the reasons I’ve always wanted to return to Romania is the extraordinary natural beauty of its landscapes and the wild virgin forests in the Carpathian Mountains”
Charles, Prince of Wales
We are pleased to invite you on a journey through the wonderful transylvanian lands, with our whole-hearted recommendation of spending lovely moments in places that have endured for hundreds of years almost untouched by time.
Our aim is to take you on a journey to the past and give you the rare opportunity to see life through the eyes of those who used to live there.
You will find that the hospitality of our caring hosts, the most representative vintage manors now restored and added to the tourist circuit, pours into the traditional romanian recipes, flavorful menus, and dishes prepared from natural products, locally grown and harvested.
The spirit of the people, the history and traditions of the lands we are going to visit and explore are meant to create a unique and authentic romanian experience, that you will discover during our travels.
The wild beauty of the Transylvanian lands lead HM Prince Charles to fall in love with this region and to invest in the restoration of old houses that belonged to noble families of the past centuries. Their authentic appearance and the way life unfolded a few hundreds of years ago were thus restored.
Itinerary - Short Version
Day 1 - Saturday, the 6th of September
Arrival in Bucuresti, Henry Coanda Airport, transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation at a 4* hotel, situated in the old city center. Welcome dinner.
Day 2 - Sunday, the 7th of September
After breakfast (9.00 am) we take the bus from Bucharest to Transylvania.
Our first stop is Sinaia, where we have lunch.
Visit to Brasov. Dinner and overnight at The Manor of Count Kalnoky of Miclosoara-Covasna.
Day 3 - Monday, the 8th of September
After breakfast - free time to relax and stroll through the beautiful gardens of this manor.
Lunch at the manor. In the afternoon we depart to Zalan Guesthouse from Zalan Valley, where we dine and overnight.
Day 4 - Tuesday, the 9th of September
We spend this day in nature, hiking through woods and on the hills that surround this forgotten hamlet.All the meals are served at the Guesthouse.
Day 5 - Wednesday, the 10th of September
After breakfast, visit to The Medieval Citadel of Sighisoara.
We serve lunch in this beautiful Citadel.
We dine and overnight in The Apafi Manor from Malancrav.
Day 6 - Thursday, the 11th of September
After breakfast, we depart to Transylvania, in The Trascau Mountains.
First stop is Bethlen Castle. we serve lunch at Danes Domain.
Next stop is The Fortified Church from Biertan.
We dine and overnight at Conacul Secuiesc (Seckler Mansion)
Day 7 - Friday, the 12th of September
After breakfast we depart to Alba Iulia.
We serve lunch in one of the bistros opened in the old Citadel, a place full of originality.
Visits in Sibiu: walk through The Grand Square, Brukenthal Palace, The Small Square and The Bridge of Lies, Huet Square and The Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral in its center,etc.
We dine and overnight in a 4* hotel in Sibiu.
Day 8 -Saturday, the 13th of September
After breakfast, we depart to Viscri.
Visit The Fortified Church from the 13th century.
We serve lunch in a traditional saxon house, property of Prince Charles.
Departure to Bran. Visit Bran Castle (also known as Dracula Castle).
We return to Bucharest. Farewell Dinner in the Old Center.
Day 9 - Sunday, the 14th of September
Departure Day - after breakfast - Transfer to the Airport.
The price of the journey is 1700 €/person in double room.
Single supplement is 400 €.
The journey includes:
- 8 nights accomodation F.B. (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Welcome and Farewell dinners
- Multiple transfers to and from Airport
- Transport by deluxe minibus in Transylvania trip
- Local Guides
- Translator
- Entrance fee at the touristic objectives
Group of minimum 10 - maximum 12 people
Time limit - The 15th of June 2014
Chapters in our story:
Day 1 - Saturday, the 6th of September
Arrival in Bucuresti, Henry Coanda Airport, transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation at a 4* hotel, situated in the old city center. Welcome dinner.
Day 2 - Sunday, the 7th of September
After breakfast (9.00 am) we take the bus from Bucharest to Transylvania. Our first stop is Sinaia, The Pearl of Prahova Valley. The city from the foothills of Bucegi Mountains hosts the former summer residence of King Carol I, The Peles Castle. An architectural gem in Swiss chalet style, it was built and decorated between 1873-1914 and was the first electrified castle in Europe. The interior is charming, the royal atmosphere given by the style of various halls is emphasized by the collections of glassware, clocks, silver, oriental carpets and tapestries, and exceptionally madestained glass.Peles is surrounded by seven terraces decorated with statues (the work of the Italian artist Romanelli), stone-made-wells, ornamental vases and Carara marble.
Lunch is served in Sinaia and then we continue the road to Brasov, where we make a stop to visit the city. Brasov, an old Romanian Fortress, is attested since the 13th century. The most famous place in Brasov is The Council Square, surrounded by buildings with red roofs, that remind of the German influence. This was the place where fairs were organized during the Middle Age and it is a real pleasure to wander through the picturesque streets. Nearby lies the Church of Saint Mary, known as the Black Church, the largest religious building in the Gothic style in south-eastern Europe, where thrilling organ concerts are held. The church houses the biggest bell in Romania, many works of art and a collection of oriental carpets.
Brasov was a fortified city with defensive walls, towers and gates built between 1400 and 1650. Nowdays we can visit The Blacksmiths' Bastion,The Graft Bastion, The Schei Gate, The Catherine Gate, The Black Tower and The White Tower.
We end our day at The Manor of Count Kalnoky of Miclosoara-Covasna, where we dine and overnight. The manor built in the 16th century, in the Renaissance style, is part of the national heritage and was renovated by the Kalnoky family descendants, one of the historical families in Transylvania. It also has a beautiful English style garden.
Day 3 - Monday, the 8th of September
After breakfast we have free time to relax and stroll through the beautiful gardens of this manor until lunchtime, prepared with products grown on the property.
In the afternoon we head to Zalan Guesthouse from Zalan Valley, held and exceptionally restored by HM Prince Charles, where we overnight and have a delicious dinner.
Day 4 - Tuesday, the 9th of September
We spend this day in nature, hiking through woods and on the hills that surround this forgotten hamlet. It is a pure, organic cuisine - flavorful and rich in vitamins from products harvested on these lands.
All the meals are served at The Guesthouse.
Day 5 - Wednesday, the 10th of September
After breakfast, we continue our journey to The Medieval Citadel of Sighisoara. The magnificent Sighisoara is a 12th century Saxon edifice, which was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1999. Sighisoara is considered to be the most beautiful and well preserved inhabited citadel of Europe, with authentic medieval architecture, housing many sites, such as:
- The Towers pertaining to different craftsmen’s associations, the landmark of the city being the Clock Tower, a 64 m high tower built in the 13th century, today a museum of history
- The Covered Staircase – a very old staircase with a wooden roof along the whole span, that leads up to the Church on the Hill, a Lutheran church that was built in the 14th century
- A Greek-catholic church from the 15th century, the Virgin Mary church of the Dominican Monastery built in the 17th century and also an orthodox church built for the Virgin Mary in the 18th century.
We serve lunch in this beautiful Citadel.
We overnight in another manor, The Apafi Manor from Malancrav. The beautiful manor dates from the 15th century and was restored by The Mihai Eminescu Trust, under the patronage of Charles, Prince of Wales. The restoration was made with traditional materials, in order to bring it to its original state.
We serve an exquisite dinner at the manor, also prepared with tasteful products grown and harvested from the local garden.
Day 6 - Thursday, the 11th of September
After breakfast, we depart for our next destination in Transylvania, in The Trascau Mountains.
On the way there, our first stop is Bethlen Castle, a noble residence built between the 14th - 17th centuries, then we serve lunch at Danes Domain. The Domain lies in a very nice landscape, and if you wish, you can ride the horses from the Equestrian Center.
Our next stop is The Fortified Church from Biertan, built between 1490-1520, in Late Gothic style.
We dine and overnight at Conacul Secuiesc (Seckler Mansion), a place that brings together rich rural tradition, gastronomic tradition, comfort, and a wonderful landscape. The manor has rooms with painted furniture, folk stitch, embroidery, and traditional local cuisine in the restaurant.
Day 7 - Friday, the 12th of September
After breakfast we depart to Alba Iulia, an old romanian fortress and the first capital of the three Romanian Principalities united in 1600 under the scepter of Michael the Brave. It is a sacred symbol of unity, documented from the 5th century B.C.
We serve lunch in one of the bistros opened in the old Citadel, all of them places full of originality. The next medieval city in Transylvania that we are going to visit is Sibiu, nominated European Capital of Culture in 2007. Documented from 1191, many objectives confirm the history of this most important, strong and wealthy city of Transylvania.
We are going to walk through The Grand Square, that has been the center of Sibiu since the 14th century and is surrounded by many old buildings such as Brukenthal Palace, one of the most important Baroque monuments in Romania. Then we walk through The Small Square and over The Bridge of Lies, which is the first forged iron bridge in Romania.
Another stop place is Huet Square, one of the three main squares of Sibiu. Its most notable feature is The Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral in its center.
There are also many interesting churches to visit, such as: the Franciscan Church (the church has a gothic aspect, but in time it acquired many baroque elements), the Ursuline church (built mainly in a gothic stile), The Holy Trinity Roman-Catholic Church (built in the spirit of the early Viennese Baroque), St. Elizabeth Church and the Reformed Church (baroque style), the orthodox cathedral and the Asylum Church which has the oldest bell in Sibiu.
We dine and overnight in a 4* hotel in Sibiu.
Day 8 -Saturday, the 13th of September
In the morning, after breakfast, we depart to Viscri, where we visit The Fortified Church from the 13th century. In this village Prince Charles owns a traditional saxon house, where we serve lunch, prepared from traditional recipes with natural, home-made products.
Afterwards we depart to Bran. The Bran area has beautiful villages placed between hills and mountains that create an overwhelming view, able to seduce your eyes and your heart.
Bran Castle (also known as Dracula Castle) was strategically built on a rock for defensive and commercial purposes guarding the entrance to the Rucar-Bran pass.
We return to Bucharest and in the evening we will have our Farewell Dinner in the Old Center.
Day 9 - Sunday, the 14th of September
Departure Day - after breakfast - Transfer to the Airport.
